StarDrive 2 - Digital Deluxe Edition

StarDrive 2 - Digital Deluxe Edition

StarDrive 2 is an exciting and evolutionary step forward for the StarDrive franchise. In this eagerly anticipated sequel, the core mechanics have evolved to incorporate a turn-based strategic layer, featuring spectacular realtime battles.

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Game description

“StarDrive 2 feels like that game I used to sit around and dream about with my friends.”
[PC Gamer]

“So, shall I say it? I shall indeed: StarDrive 2 is the best thing since Master of Orion. Period.”
8.7 – [Hooked Gamers]

The Digital Deluxe edition allows you to visually customize your ships with exciting new paint jobs! Wrap your cruisers in the American flag to dispense democracy in megaton doses from high orbit! Or perhaps you would prefer to roll in a black on black murdered out cruiser? Each race has several different paint jobs to choose from.
Additionally, the Digital Deluxe Edition includes a StarDrive Design Journal, a digital copy of the hand-written journal used by the developer during the development process. Gain insight into the development history of StarDrive with this intriguing book.

The Digital Artbook provides an in-depth look at the art of StarDrive, with developer commentary on bringing the visuals from concept to execution.

Finally, kick back and relax with some great classical music. The StarDrive 2 soundtrack includes original music from Marius Masalar and Jeff Dodson, as well as licensed music from Gustav Holst and Debussy.

“StarDrive 2 feels like that game I used to sit around and dream about with my friends.” PC Gamer

StarDrive 2 is an exciting and evolutionary step forward for the StarDrive franchise. In this eagerly anticipated sequel, the core mechanics have evolved to incorporate a turn-based strategic layer, featuring spectacular realtime battles. As the galactic ruler of your race you will lead your people into a procedurally-generated galaxy, exploring and expanding your space empire to greatness. Exploit planets, navigate asteroid belts and overcome deep space dangers while handling interspecies relations to gain the upper hand. Conduct diplomacy and espionage, make alien friends that will deliver thriving trade treaties – or enemies that will seek to exterminate you at all costs. Research new technologies and design powerful warships to defend your claims. Discover the extensive lore of the StarDrive universe by encountering many dozens of anomalies, heroes, and galactic mysteries that will ensure no two games will ever play the same.

Research hundreds of technologies, including technologies that are unique to your race. Find even more technologies through in-game events and galactic exploration.

Build your own ships in the custom ship design mode and take them into real-time battles featuring stunning visuals and sound effects.

Enter a Battle Arena mode for quick-fix battles against cunning AI opponents. In this mode, you will earn rewards as you fight through the challenges, allowing you to unlock new weapons, ship hulls, and ship modules to upgrade your ships and to purchase new ships to add to your fleet.

Created with the Unity engine for simultaneous release on PC, Mac and Linux.

StarDrive 2 is a 4X strategy game that combines turn based play for most of the game but show a real time combat screen for ship battles, a change from the original title which was a 4X and real time strategy game throughout. The games different forms of life offer some good or amusing looking creatures and choosing one to play as will give you traits that can give you bonuses or penalties to different areas, such as combat, research, diplomacy, etc very similar to other 4X games in that regard. While there is diplomacy the game will gradually pull everyone towards war as the game is meant to be won when you are the last civilization, there aren't any diplomatic or tech based victories.
To further that every populace is shown to be xenophobic through a tolerance meter that decides what kind of diplomatic options you can take with other races. One of the better features if the ability to customize your ships with different loadouts, weapons, power, etc, I have not played the original but people seem to be saying that the options are less than what was in the first game. There is also ground combat that is poorly handled and feels like an unnecessary thing for you to watch or have control over. StarDrive 2 isn't a bad game but other games in the genre have just done it better.
The Deluxe Edition includes a design journal and an art book with commentary on the game's art direction, both are nice to have if you have an interest in development or how decisions were made. Also included is the game's soundtrack, this includes some good tracks but it is fairly short. The price is reasonable if you have an interest in these things.